Day 50: Waiting Room / Lobby 1 (3rd Shift)

[hat_einen_vogel]

Prussia wouldn't admit it out loud, but it had been nice to see his brother this morning. West had obviously been doing well before he ended up here; he must have recovered from the war some time in the gap between Prussia's own time and his, and kept on surviving, no matter what rules and restrictions and laws the Control Council had put in place

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[damned_visitors]

Was he surprised? No, more than that: Gilbert appeared genuinely shocked, as if her presence had been unaccounted for. Elizaveta almost huffed at the expression--out of everyone, he should have expected her. She might have tied his shoelaces together and punched him in the mouth a couple of times, but she wasn't that horrible of a friend!

The change to caution, however, was enough to end the line of thought. In the end, she really couldn't blame him after what happened; maybe the transition was disorienting enough for Gilbert to question why the woman was standing before him. The best thing to do in this case was to act perfectly normal, right? Allow him to see that Elizaveta, despite her shortcomings as a friend, was still and always the same. Then he, too, could act appropriately.

Her smile widened, as though the man had said something humorous. "To visit you, you dolt!" She reached out and poked him playfully on the nose. "When they told me Landel's Institute had visiting hours on Sunday, of course I had to come. Just because you're here, it doesn't mean I'm leaving you alone."

She sobered and moved to sit next to Gilbert, hand reaching out to touch his. "How are you doing so far?" asked Elizaveta, concern evident in her tone. "Are they feeding you okay? Getting enough sleep? Is it true they really use electroshock therapy to alter your behavior?" The last might have been inappropriate, but it was a great opening for a joke. And the guy looked like he could use one.

[hat_einen_vogel]

Something was dreadfully wrong with Hungary: she was being nice.

To him.

She sounded concerned, like she cared about more than him holding still while she hit him upside the head for the latest perceived (or very, very real) slight about Austria. She was touching his hand without using it to throw him over her shoulder or across the room.

He jerked his hand away reflexively by her last question. That sounded a bit more like the Hungary he knew, but just barely. If anyone's behavior had been 'altered', it was hers.

"I..." he started, his throat feeling suddenly dry. He cleared it and tried again, his tone defensive, "How do you think I'm doing, Hungary? I'm as awesome as always, even if I am stuck here. How did you even know where I was, anyway? It didn't sound like West knew a damn thing about this place until he ended up here too." And if he had, he certainly hadn't mentioned anything about knowing there were 'visiting hours'.

As strange as Hungary being nice to him was in itself, it was also odd to see her here without Austria close at hand. Maybe she was supposed to be from the future, too, and she'd finally ditched the loser. He glanced towards the door, just to make sure the aristocrat wasn't hanging back over there. No sign of Austria.

He looked at Hungary again, still feeling rather cautious. Had she actually come here alone? Visiting because she happened to be accompanying Austria who had come to gloat or 'be civil' or something was one thing, but to come alone... "And what about Specs?" he added as casually as he could for what amounted to fishing for answers. "Is he here with you?"

[damned_visitors]

She must have gone too far to warrant this reaction, and when Gilbert pulled his hand away, Elizaveta did nothing to stop him. Instead, she raised both her own--palms out to show no harm--while pushing down the quiet pang of hurt that rose up.

"I was there when they decided to send you to the hospital, remember?" she said quietly. "When they decided the same for your brother." What the woman did not want to say was that she had been one of the stronger proponents of that decision.

Fortunately, there existed no better way to avoid that answer than to focus on the oddities in her friend's reply. "Gilbert," she began, only to hesitate. How would she tell him without offense? "My name is Elizaveta Héderváry. Your brother is Ludwig. Not Hungary. Not West. I...know you're fond of those names, but unless you stop using them, the doctors won't consent to your release." That was what they all wanted in the end, wasn't it? For both Beilschmidt brothers. As soon as Gilbert realized this, the sooner they could get better.

The question that followed, however, drove Elizaveta's thoughts clear off the tracks. Without clearly thinking of the consequences, she looked to the side, her face one degree paler than before. "Mr. Edelstein isn't here," came the answer. "I think we're the last people on earth he would want to see anyway."

[hat_einen_vogel]

Prussia briefly-briefly!-felt a pang of guilt for pulling away from Hungary. If she wanted to hold his hand (and not break it), maybe he should have let her. He could gloat about it to Austria later, after all.

He wasn't about to take it back, though, especially after Hungary's response.

"I don't remember anything like that," he said, torn between whether to now feel defensive or aggressive. She'd been party to some decision to send him here, and to send West here, too? "What the hell are you talking about, Hunga-"

He cut off suddenly. She'd said some crap about not being called Hungary, but surely that was just because they were in public. He glanced around at the humans surrounding them... and momentarily caught sight of England and America.

"Elizaveta," he corrected, muttering the name.

Just as confusing as Hungary's behavior was her reaction to being asked about Austria, and her answer about it. Prussia himself was probably the last person Austria would want to visit, true, but Hungary was different. "What do you mean we're the last people he'd want to see?"

[damned_visitors]

From the side, Elizaveta peered curiously at him through her lashes. Gilbert's claim and actions appeared to indicate he hadn't recalled a single event in the past week, which had its good and bad points. Good in that he wouldn't have to mull over traumatizing events. Bad in that she would have to deliver the news at some point in time.

Just...not now. It was far too soon. Gilbert might have the right to know, but his friend couldn't bear to rehash the events. Maybe when the papers were finalized, when things finally settled to normalcy, she would garner the courage to tell him.

She briefly glanced to the floor, only to meet him head-on a second later. "Come on," Elizaveta began, placing her hands on the side of her hips. "Do you really want to talk about that now? I'm here to visit you, not turn you into a blubbering old woman." She shook her head, effectively dismissing the topic. "At least tell me what you've been up to first."

[hat_einen_vogel]

"A-" Prussia started, the words that should have followed getting stuck in his throat. He tried again incredulously, "A blubbering old woman!? There's no way anything you say could do- do that."

He paused, and then hastily added, "Or do. Nothing you could do, either." She looked unarmed in any case, but this was Hungary, even if she wasn't acting like it. She could make do with practically anything.

Prussia grinned slyly. "But if you don't want to talk about it..." He trailed off, glancing again at England and... wait, that couldn't be America after all. Something about him was off, the way something was off about Hungary. His posture positively reeked of timidity.

He shrugged, returning his attention to Hungary. "I've been trying to break out," he answered cockily. His attempts may not have done much good, but at least he'd been trying.

[damned_visitors]

Gilbert's first claim sounded suspiciously like an invitation. Or more appropriately, a challenge. Any other day, Elizaveta might have taken the opportunity to see how much it would take to prove otherwise. Traumatizing story aside, the prospect of rendering the man into a pitiful state of tears and sobbing proved a little too tantalizing.

Fortunately, before any select comments could be made, his second claim derailed Elizaveta's thoughts. Break out? Break out? She practically gawked at the figure beside her, lost on how to properly respond to such an outrageous phrase. It didn't matter if he meant to escape or not; the fact he was seeing this as something to flee from did not sit right with her.

"Gilbert!" she finally whispered in fierce disbelief. "This isn't a joking matter! You're here to cooperate with the staff, not to misbehave."

[hat_einen_vogel]

Hungary's reaction was almost comforting. After years-centuries, even-of disagreement, he was used to squaring off against her, though more often than not her opposition was at Austria's behest or on his behalf. He was used to the disagreement, and even though there had been no threat of violence to accompany it this time, it was familiar.

"You're right about one thing," Prussia said seriously, though still grinned madly. "This isn't a joking matter. I'm a prisoner, Hu-Elizaveta."

He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "You'd do the exact same thing if our places were switched."

Well, maybe she'd go about it differently, but he was certain she'd have the same drive to get out. Staying here... It felt unnatural. It wasn't where he belonged.

[damned_visitors]

The only imprisonment Gilbert was experiencing was that of his own mind, and Elizaveta didn't think she had the gumption to correct him. He harbored such strange theories at times while the battles to correct his logic were almost always never worth the effort. The best she could do in this moment was to dismiss his words as just that. Words. (And question the staff later on his behavior.)

Although, she had to concede on one point: if Elizaveta honestly thought she was a prisoner... "Maybe," she responded after a moment, "but that's neither here nor there. You're in a hospital, Gilbert Beilschmidt, not a prison. You're here to get better." And return home, the woman thought firmly.

Something about the internal statement touched on a memory, and without warning, Elizaveta snapped her fingers. "Ah!" Her eyes went wide. "I completely forgot!" She shuffled to a stand and--like a master commanding her dog--wagged a finger at him. "Wait here; I'll be right back."

Ignoring any possible protests or responses, she hastily made her way to the exit.

[hat_einen_vogel]

Whatever Hungary had forgotten, it couldn't possibly be more important than defending his honor. Or stability. Either one.

Prussia frowned at the finger wagged at him, but then laughed. "Get better? I'm fine just how I am." Maybe the Control Council didn't think so, but they could go to hell for all he cared. Besides, if they were gone, he could swoop in and claim their abandoned land.

Unfortunately, it seemed Hungary was already on her way out, so crooning about how great he was seemed rather pointless... unless some of the humans around needed to know. "I'm fine how I am," he repeated, softly, as he watched her hurry to the door. "I'm awesome how I am...."

[damned_visitors]

She returned with what looked to be a large wired birdcage, large in the sense it made maneuverability through the door quite difficult. Eventually, after the second attempt and help from a nearby orderly, Elizaveta managed to pull through with everything intact. She approached her friend once more, this time with a wide grin plastered on her face.

The cage next to her chirped happily.

"Here we are!" she said, holding the cage up for the man to have a closer view. "It was hell getting them here on the Vespa, but they wanted to see you. Isn't that right, guys?"

Again, the cage sang out in response.

[hat_einen_vogel]

Prussia was curious about what it was that Hungary had forgotten, but in the space of time he waited for her to reappear, he convinced himself that he wasn't curious at all. It was probably something lame, unless it was a weapon. A weapon would have been very welcome right about now.

Given her complaint about cooperating with the staff, that seemed unlikely.

He may not have been expecting her to show up again with a weapon, but he wasn't expecting a birdcage, either. He didn't remember owning any birds lately, and he didn't remember Hungary owning any, either.

......They were really cute, though.

Prussia leaned forward slightly, peering into the cage and resisting the temptation to poke his fingers between the wires to try to touch one of them. "Where'd they come from?" he asked.

[damned_visitors]

Green eyes widened as Elizaveta processed his question, to narrow in indignation the next minute. It was perfectly fine for the man to forget the events of the past week. It was not, however, to miss the identities of these creatures. Especially given how happy they were to see their master.

"Don't you recognize your own chicks?" she asked, sounding more than a little appalled at the possible answer. "I'm taking care of them for you while you're here." As if to undo the potential damage of failed remembrance, she glanced down at her charges. "Don't listen to him, dears. He just hit his head on a concrete wall."

The resounding chirps seemed to satisfy her, and she bent down to unlatch the door. "Go on," came the prompt. "Say hello."

[hat_einen_vogel]

"They're mine?" Prussia asked, incredulity plain in his voice. He definitely would have remembered owning a pair of chicks... And the idea that Hungary was taking care of them for him (which she wasn't, because he didn't own them) was frankly laughable. No, West would have been the one to take care of them.

...If West weren't here, too.

"You're joking, right? I think I'd know if I owned any birds."

When Hungary had unlatched the door, the temptation to touch the birds and feel their feathers had spiked drastically. Even if they weren't his, she'd brought them all this way... He reached slowly into the cage. Just giving one a quick pet couldn't hurt...

[damned_visitors]

Okay. The lack of a memory had suddenly become problematic.

Elizaveta tilted her head, expression torn between exasperation and pity. Did she explain the birds to him or allow him to remember their identities on his own? Was there a protocol for handling temporary (if anything, it had to be short-term) amnesia?

"I wouldn't lie to you," she finally answered, "and they certainly wouldn't." Referring to the birds, of course. "You've always said they take a while to open to strangers, but they seem quite happy to see you." Explain that, she seemed to say.

[hat_einen_vogel]

If Hungary being nice to him (without any apparent ulterior motive) wasn't weird enough on its own, this whole situation just kept getting more and more bizarre by the second.

"You could just be making this up," he said suspiciously as his fingers brushed against one of the chicks. It cheeped happily, and he bit back a grin. Cute and soft or not, the existence of these birds was fishy. "How do I know you're not trying to fool me? That you wouldn't lie to me could be a lie."

He wouldn't, of course, be fooled... especially be Hungary. Continuing to pet the chicks didn't mean he believed her in the slightest.